Haiti
Republic of Haiti conventional short form: Haiti local long form: Republique d'Haiti local short form: Haiti
elected governmentIndependence 1 January 1804 (from France)
Haiti as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 116 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
One of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. Over three decades of dictatorship followed by military rule ended in 1990 when Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE was elected president. Most of his term was usurped by a military takeover, but he was able to return to office in 1994 and oversee the installation of a close associate to the presidency in 1996. ARISTIDE won a second term as president in 2000, and took office early the following year.
Geography
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
18 fieldsLocation
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
Land use
arable land: 20% permanent crops: 13% permanent pastures: 18% forests and woodland: 5% other: 44% (1993 est.)
Natural hazards
- lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October;
- occasional flooding and earthquakes;
- periodic droughts
Environment - current issues
- extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel);
- soil erosion;
- inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Population
- 6,964,549 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS;
- this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 40.31% (male 1,421,945; female 1,385,580) 15-64 years: 55.52% (male 1,869,323; female 1,997,246) 65 years and over: 4.17% (male 140,556; female 149,899) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 49.38 years male: 47.67 years female: 51.17 years (2001 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982) note: roughly one-half of the population also practices Voodoo
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 45% male: 48% female: 42.2% (1995 est.)
Government
Elected government
20 fieldsLegislature, 83 seatsone dot, one seat
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti conventional short form: Haiti local long form: Republique d'Haiti local short form: Haiti
Administrative divisions
9 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
Constitution
- approved March 1987;
- suspended June 1988, with most articles reinstated March 1989;
- in October 1991, government claimed to be observing the constitution;
- return to constitutional rule, October 1994
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE (since 7 February 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Marie CHERESTAL (since 9 February 2001) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
- election last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2005);
- prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the Congress election results: Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE elected president;
- percent of vote - Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE 92%
Legislative branch
- bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the Senate (27 seats; members serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies (83 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held for two-thirds of seats 21 May 2000, with runoffs on 9 July boycotted by the opposition;
- about eight seats still disputed;
- election for remaining one-third held on 26 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2002);
- Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 May 2000, with runoffs on 30 July boycotted by the opposition;
- one vacant seat rerun 26 November 2000 (next election NA 2004) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
- seats by party - FL 26, independent 1;
- Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%;
- seats by party - FL 73, OPL 1, other minor parties and independents 9
Political parties and leaders
- Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti or ALAH [Reynold GEORGES];
- Assembly of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT];
- Convergence (opposition coalition composed of ESPACE, OPL, and MOCHRENA) [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES, Evans PAUL, Luc MESADIEU, Victor BENOIT];
- Democratic Consultation Group coalition or ESPACE [Evans PAUL, Victor Benoit] composed of the following parties: National Congress of Democratic Movements or KONAKOM, National Progressive Revolutionary Party or PANPRA, Generation 2004, and Haiti Can;
- Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Marie-France CLAUDE];
- Haitian Democratic Party or PADEM [Clark PARENT];
- Lavalas Family or FL [Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE];
- Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert DE RONCERAY];
- Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Rene THEODORE];
- Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc BAZIN];
- Movement for the Organization of the Country or MOP [Gesner COMEAU and Jean MOLIERE];
- National Front for Change and Democracy or FNCD [Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE];
- New Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU];
- Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Autonomous Haitian Workers or CATH;
- Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH;
- Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS;
- National Popular Assembly or APN;
- Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP;
- Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP;
- Roman Catholic Church
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, Caricom (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Louis Harold JOSEPH chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090
FAX
[1] (202) 745-7215 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Brian Dean CURRAN embassy: 5 Harry Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince telephone: [509] 222-0354, 222-0269, 222-0200, 223-4776
Flag description
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)
Economy
About 80% of the population lives in abject poverty.
32 fieldsElectricity
Economy - overview
About 80% of the population lives in abject poverty. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The country has experienced little job creation since the former President PREVAL took office in February 1996, although the informal economy is growing.
Following legislative elections in May 2000, fraught with irregularities, international donors - including the US and EU - suspended almost all aid to Haiti. This destabilized the Haitian currency, the gourde, and, combined with a 40% fuel price hike in September, caused widespread price increases. Prices appear to have leveled off in January 2001.
Unemployment rate
widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (1999)
Budget
revenues: $317 million expenditures: $362 million, including capital expenditures of $84 million (FY99/00 est.)
Industries
sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts
Exchange rates
gourdes per US dollar - 23.761 (January 2001), 22.524 (2000), 17.965 (1999), 16.505 (1998), 17.311 (1997), 15.093 (1996)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Transportation
8 fieldsRailways
total: 40 km (single track; privately owned industrial line) - closed in early 1990s narrow gauge: 40 km 0.760-m gauge
Ports and harbors
Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Jeremie, Les Cayes, Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc
Military
Haitian National Police (HNP) note: the regular Haitian Army, Navy, and Air Force have been demobilized but still exist on paper until constitutionally abolished
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Haitian National Police (HNP) note: the regular Haitian Army, Navy, and Air Force have been demobilized but still exist on paper until constitutionally abolished
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
major Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe; vulnerable to money laundering
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Haiti.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/haiti/2001.